[ he rubs his temple and decides to maybe try not to check this thing with whispers again any time soon. or at least, without a more concrete idea of what to check on.
for now, though, he will try to get closer to where, using his still good arm to unsheathe his katana. ]
Guy!
[ owner can try to swing at it but idk if he is quick enough. tries to let sipp get some injury if she wants but realistically owner would at least make an attempt here ]
[ i rolled a 3 for charming the sister trauma monster
he's so distracted by what he hears, utterly drawn in by the soft voices and characteristic beats of silence of his loved ones, that he gets hit soundly by this creature's flailing limb and goes right off the balcony. oopsie. ]
[ god why did i roll a 20. while guy too is affected by the sister traumas, owner's inuyasha yell snaps him out of it. also his cool af one armed katana wielding!! ]
[ unfortunately, rolling a 20 means guy has to look cool too. and he darts over to catch sidon in his arms and break his fall!! idk adrenaline or some shit. i will leave the rest of our fates in alli's hands ]
[ It shrieks in pain as the plasma gun rips into it, and then roars like it’s preparing to jump off the side of a space station and fall like, 50 floors on willpower alone. One of its huge hands comes up to try and smash her again - to get her away from the controls of this place. The dream is here to stay, and it won’t be abandoned so easily.
Sidon goes to the floor with a thump - though Guy manages to dramatically catch him before the worst of it. It howls in agony at the chance it was robbed of to finish him and it uses another flailing limb to try and crush them both instead, to eliminate the sight of them. It drips an evil, black and purple goop that sears as it hits the skin, filled with malevolence that seems so palpable this close. It stinks, of blood and panic. Failure. Guy, it is all the weight of a pile of corpses, death rattles and sacrifice. Even a nat 20 can’t protect you from the sins of your past.
Owner, the faces of Butterfly and Spider seem gentle, and soft - do they not serve you? Are they not under your command? It’s transfixing. At least, until your katana slices into their flesh and they scream in pain. Why? You called them here. It came from your mind. IT WAS YOU WHO DID THIS.
Victoron sits there placidly. `No response detected. To hear options again, say REPEAT.`]
[well, this time it successfully knocks her off the platform, sending her sprawling to the ground, crushing her leg underneath her. she will try to use some of her new arcana skills. will a 'hold person' work on this thing? i know it's a monster, but maybe if she tries, she can hold it back for just a moment?]
[ sipp single-handedly trying to make us dodge injury. he scrambles upright so he doesn't crush guy, but the second swipe leaves them dealing with The Goop.
he's going to make a str check to pin and hold this limb in place with his trident and prosthetic arm once it strikes at them. but he is really hesitant to do much more damage. sorry guys. ]
[ listen i wasn't going to use my 20 on seducing sister monster SORRY besides they probably have some cracked ribs from the impact or something. ]
[ but uh, unfortunately, it is true that the natural 20 can't save him now. very uncharacteristically, he actually freezes up. the weight of a pile of corpses is right, and it's crushing. ]
[ Actually, as Margaret raises her hand to try casting her spell - Hold Person - the monster's face flickers through a few -- No, that's an android, a brain slug, a clone, a cyborg, anguatunisian-- None of them a quite right until she is staring you down, looking disappointed. You would walk away from this Margaret? Everything you tried to build together?
And then Owner sinks his blade into her face and she screams.
Sidon can make a pretty successful attempt to hold down the limb - it's difficult, because it's thrashing wildly, covered in scars from thorns it ran through to try and escape, please, please let it choose its own story, it's own dream. But he holds it down. Keeps it in place.
Guy, you're suffering a lot. Maybe distracted enough you don't see the spiked tail swinging down to hit you again in this moment. But perhaps that was written in the Score all along. Guy Cecil: Killed by a dream.
N-N-N̴̡̨̮͓̰͇͔̬̗̱͔̭̆́̄̔̄́̐̔̓̒̿̂ͅƠ̴̧̡̡̛̭̲͓͍̫̪̱̞͕͈̫̺̜̳͎̜̪̯̦̳̩͕̲̘͈͖̞̲͙̜͚̦͉̮̟̠̩͒͊̽͐̉̆̉͗͛̉͗̋͆̈̒̏̐͒̈͐́̚͘͜͜͜͜͠͝V̷̨̨̡̫̖̦͔̣̹̞̘͕̠̝͖͙̗̮̹͍̻̜̣̞̜̑̅̊̎̾̒͑̂̋͌̓͑͂̏̎̿͑̏̑̍́̑́͜͠͝͝Ę̶̳̦̝͍̩̼̦̘̳̦̥͎͇͈̩̪̝̲̳͑͆͑̈́͛̎̃̇̓͐̽̉͋͑̍͆͂̅̋́̒̒͌̈́͒́̄̽͋́͋́̎̾̚͘̚̚̚̕̚̕̚͜͠ͅM̸̢̨̡̢̢̧̡͉̖̦̖̘̼͔̖͖̜̭̲͓͇͎̩̱̞̬̭̹͖͕̰̏̏̽̽͗̽̌͌̊̔̅̒͑͂̄̉̑̉͌͒̈́͊̏̾̚̕͜͜͠͝͝ has been inputted. Booting EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN PROTOCOL - Ple-Ple-PLEAS-E-E-EEEEE proceed to the CONTROL CENTER to OPEN THE Ç̷̰̉Ṟ̵͆͛Ȩ̶̀S̷̰͖̈́T̸͈͓̚ CONTAINMENT SHIELD. ]
[some of us don't have sisters so the monster has to turn into our bitch ex. well, guess what, she's mad at her! yes, she wants to walk away from it, god damn it! she doesn't want to be part of this bullshit! don't you have an art school party to attend or something?
owner is stabbing this thing, so she will try with a shaky hand to shoot it and make sure it stays down.]
[ the siblingless pair is probably better off. he really can't do this—he holds it down long enough that it doesn't interrupt margaret and owner, but beyond that, he lets go of the creature like it's scorched him.
he tries to wipe off the goo, looking for any way out that isn't fighting this creature. ]
We need to move!
[ where is this control center? he'll take a slash at the tail that's coming at guy but sipp can get however fucked up she wants ]
[ anyway, guy can get fucked up a little as a tweat to me bc i'm tired of him rolling 20s and looking cool. sidon slows it down, but he is definitely getting fuckin hit with a spiked tail and maybe impaled a little who knows ]
[ she shoots it and the plasma bolt goes through its eye and its suddenly Owner's face on the creature, looking ... happy, to be shot in this way. It sighs relief when the sword slices into its body. This could be over. Maybe that's the way out. If they all just were quiet, and laid down, they could all dream together here in this place and they wouldn't have to hurt one another. There doesn't have to be violence. But it understands - many fight against the future when it arrives, but inevitably it marches on.
Where is the control center. You're so tired now, tired of fighting, tired of all the struggle. It's probably somewhere high, where you could see the arena below - overlooking it all. But that seems like a lot of effort. ]
[ guy gets hit by the tail despite his efforts, but he sees this creature morph into owner, and he's suddenly wearied and finds it difficult to go help him. it's hard to do anything—he hadn't wanted to fight this beast anyway?
maybe they could just stop.
...but margaret speaks, and he blinks back to awareness, trying to lift her so they can go up to the panel together. guy and owner will have to distract this thing for now. ]
[ mission accepted. guy got impaled or some shit but he is staggering towards owner, his untailsmacked hand coming to rest on owner's shoulder this is the hand with the friendship bracelet. bitch i told you i'd get you ]
Hey, [ he says quietly, roughly. but he's staring at the creature too ] It's not.... [ he wants to say it's not real, but he's struggling a little bit ] It's.. not them. Not you.
[ it's tired. your dream. it sinks to lay down on the ground on its belly, the shattered remains of its prosthetic arm unable to hold its weight. it's curled around the orb in the center of the room - large enough to take up the entire space and bleeds stardust and ashes from the wounds on its face and sides, Owner's face watching his own in turn.
Then it blinks, and it's-- an android who wants to be more than an obedient computational system, a boy who you once thought you would kill and decided instead that love and friendship could be the answer, and a young man who, despite everything, you think could save the world if you believe strongly enough. It's you, at peace, watching the people you love live happily and free.
It's a blonde woman, strong and well-built, a smile brighter than the sun, and it's a dream of a happy family, two caring parents and three children, who are never hungry and never scared and always loved. It's a way forward, it's a tilted run-down house in Shady Creek Run, with all the lights burning softly in the windows, and it's someone who understands and then gets to stay by your side. Is this not what the dream is? Everything you thought you lost. Everything that the world has snatched from your hands. Everything the gods deemed you, a speck in the universe, unworthy for. You dragged it out of the aether and set it here, and now you will see it undone.
But, a voice, in all of your minds at once. `This work is incomplete. Unfinished. An early experiment and a failure. Please - Be rid of it.` and perhaps without meaning to, whoever is closest will feel compelled to take control of the chamber. ]
[well, i think sidon and margaret are both here together, so can they do it together? she doesn't want the dream to be here anymore. let her take control and get rid of it. she'll share, she will.]
[ right. they need to-- he looks around, spotting where margaret and sidon are, trying to ignore the creature that they brought here, but still not quite ale to look away from it. ]
[ he wants to go to this monster. his heart aches for it suddenly and wholly, watching it from above as it curls up like a creature waiting quietly for the end to come, defeated. it's almost worse than when it was fighting them tooth and nail, the way it sags in on itself, horrifying and tragic.
dreams into reality, that man had told him. this is what he'd meant.
but he and margaret are closest to the controls. he helps to hold her up so they can work, and he feels that compulsion, reaching out for the panel with her. his hand nearly shakes as he follows the impulse; he wants this dream. he doesn't want it to suffer. ]
[ It doesn’t move to stop anyone from going - it merely watches, red eyes careful and suspicious, dark horns curled at the side of its face. Maybe. Maybe if it had a chance to start anew, free of tragedy and pain, it would be something different. Something free. Death-obsessed, but free. But it’s not. It doesn’t fight anymore.
As they work to operate the panel it seems natural and intuitive - both their hands move in practiced sweeping motions along the controls hovering in the air, sending runes and circles spinning in familiar, mind-bending patterns. The ceiling showers dust as it creaks into life again, gold plating retreating and twisting and pulling out of the way. In the ceiling hands another portion of that beautiful, glowing blue Threshold Crest. It’s quick, at least - a roar of golden light and the creature screams again and just … melts.
A whisper: `The philosophers abandoned us. Took their whole Ward with them. Cognouza. Curse them. May they rot in—
Blood seeps into all the grooved channels along the floor, and flows into the orb, disappearing. Your dream, gone.
Victoron, from where its sitting goes: `W-W-W-Welcome. Do you need assistance?`
[she is tired. once control over the panel wanes, she slumps, leaning against sidon.]
Is it over?
[she's too tired right not even to remember why she was angry before. it feels like something took her over and filled her with so much, and it isn't as though she didn't want it, but the absence of that pressure is a relief. it hurts, when your dream dies in front of you, but it's such a relief, too.]
Are you all okay?
[she says this very quietly, not sure what to think. for a while she forgot why she trusted them, but now she's forgotten why she didn't, but it doesn't feel as though the source of that distrust is gone exactly.]
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for now, though, he will try to get closer to where, using his still good arm to unsheathe his katana. ]
Guy!
[ owner can try to swing at it but idk if he is quick enough. tries to let sipp get some injury if she wants but realistically owner would at least make an attempt here ]
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he's so distracted by what he hears, utterly drawn in by the soft voices and characteristic beats of silence of his loved ones, that he gets hit soundly by this creature's flailing limb and goes right off the balcony. oopsie. ]
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[ unfortunately, rolling a 20 means guy has to look cool too. and he darts over to catch sidon in his arms and break his fall!! idk adrenaline or some shit. i will leave the rest of our fates in alli's hands ]
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Sidon goes to the floor with a thump - though Guy manages to dramatically catch him before the worst of it. It howls in agony at the chance it was robbed of to finish him and it uses another flailing limb to try and crush them both instead, to eliminate the sight of them. It drips an evil, black and purple goop that sears as it hits the skin, filled with malevolence that seems so palpable this close. It stinks, of blood and panic. Failure. Guy, it is all the weight of a pile of corpses, death rattles and sacrifice. Even a nat 20 can’t protect you from the sins of your past.
Owner, the faces of Butterfly and Spider seem gentle, and soft - do they not serve you? Are they not under your command? It’s transfixing. At least, until your katana slices into their flesh and they scream in pain. Why? You called them here. It came from your mind. IT WAS YOU WHO DID THIS.
Victoron sits there placidly. `No response detected. To hear options again, say REPEAT.`]
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it makes him hesitate. and then he tries to stab again, a little harder. ]
I know.
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he's going to make a str check to pin and hold this limb in place with his trident and prosthetic arm once it strikes at them. but he is really hesitant to do much more damage. sorry guys. ]
Novem!
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[ but uh, unfortunately, it is true that the natural 20 can't save him now. very uncharacteristically, he actually freezes up. the weight of a pile of corpses is right, and it's crushing. ]
M... Mary....
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And then Owner sinks his blade into her face and she screams.
Sidon can make a pretty successful attempt to hold down the limb - it's difficult, because it's thrashing wildly, covered in scars from thorns it ran through to try and escape, please, please let it choose its own story, it's own dream. But he holds it down. Keeps it in place.
Guy, you're suffering a lot. Maybe distracted enough you don't see the spiked tail swinging down to hit you again in this moment. But perhaps that was written in the Score all along. Guy Cecil: Killed by a dream.
N-N-N̴̡̨̮͓̰͇͔̬̗̱͔̭̆́̄̔̄́̐̔̓̒̿̂ͅƠ̴̧̡̡̛̭̲͓͍̫̪̱̞͕͈̫̺̜̳͎̜̪̯̦̳̩͕̲̘͈͖̞̲͙̜͚̦͉̮̟̠̩͒͊̽͐̉̆̉͗͛̉͗̋͆̈̒̏̐͒̈͐́̚͘͜͜͜͜͠͝V̷̨̨̡̫̖̦͔̣̹̞̘͕̠̝͖͙̗̮̹͍̻̜̣̞̜̑̅̊̎̾̒͑̂̋͌̓͑͂̏̎̿͑̏̑̍́̑́͜͠͝͝Ę̶̳̦̝͍̩̼̦̘̳̦̥͎͇͈̩̪̝̲̳͑͆͑̈́͛̎̃̇̓͐̽̉͋͑̍͆͂̅̋́̒̒͌̈́͒́̄̽͋́͋́̎̾̚͘̚̚̚̕̚̕̚͜͠ͅM̸̢̨̡̢̢̧̡͉̖̦̖̘̼͔̖͖̜̭̲͓͇͎̩̱̞̬̭̹͖͕̰̏̏̽̽͗̽̌͌̊̔̅̒͑͂̄̉̑̉͌͒̈́͊̏̾̚̕͜͜͠͝͝ has been inputted. Booting EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN PROTOCOL - Ple-Ple-PLEAS-E-E-EEEEE proceed to the CONTROL CENTER to OPEN THE Ç̷̰̉Ṟ̵͆͛Ȩ̶̀S̷̰͖̈́T̸͈͓̚ CONTAINMENT SHIELD. ]
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owner is stabbing this thing, so she will try with a shaky hand to shoot it and make sure it stays down.]
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see, they still get along, their tag team. ]
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he tries to wipe off the goo, looking for any way out that isn't fighting this creature. ]
We need to move!
[ where is this control center? he'll take a slash at the tail that's coming at guy but sipp can get however fucked up she wants ]
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[ anyway, guy can get fucked up a little as a tweat to me bc i'm tired of him rolling 20s and looking cool. sidon slows it down, but he is definitely getting fuckin hit with a spiked tail and maybe impaled a little who knows ]
[ that's what he gets for having a sister ]
[ he'll be useful next turn, probably ]
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Where is the control center. You're so tired now, tired of fighting, tired of all the struggle. It's probably somewhere high, where you could see the arena below - overlooking it all. But that seems like a lot of effort. ]
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[her leg is broken but she will start trying to drag herself back up there but sidon is free to step over her body and get there first.]
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owner does not try this, because he just stares at the creature, transfixed. his blade stills in his hand. ]
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maybe they could just stop.
...but margaret speaks, and he blinks back to awareness, trying to lift her so they can go up to the panel together. guy and owner will have to distract this thing for now. ]
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Hey, [ he says quietly, roughly. but he's staring at the creature too ] It's not.... [ he wants to say it's not real, but he's struggling a little bit ] It's.. not them. Not you.
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Then it blinks, and it's-- an android who wants to be more than an obedient computational system, a boy who you once thought you would kill and decided instead that love and friendship could be the answer, and a young man who, despite everything, you think could save the world if you believe strongly enough. It's you, at peace, watching the people you love live happily and free.
It's a blonde woman, strong and well-built, a smile brighter than the sun, and it's a dream of a happy family, two caring parents and three children, who are never hungry and never scared and always loved. It's a way forward, it's a tilted run-down house in Shady Creek Run, with all the lights burning softly in the windows, and it's someone who understands and then gets to stay by your side. Is this not what the dream is? Everything you thought you lost. Everything that the world has snatched from your hands. Everything the gods deemed you, a speck in the universe, unworthy for. You dragged it out of the aether and set it here, and now you will see it undone.
But, a voice, in all of your minds at once. `This work is incomplete. Unfinished. An early experiment and a failure. Please - Be rid of it.` and perhaps without meaning to, whoever is closest will feel compelled to take control of the chamber. ]
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[ right. they need to-- he looks around, spotting where margaret and sidon are, trying to ignore the creature that they brought here, but still not quite ale to look away from it. ]
Guy, we should... go to the others.
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dreams into reality, that man had told him. this is what he'd meant.
but he and margaret are closest to the controls. he helps to hold her up so they can work, and he feels that compulsion, reaching out for the panel with her. his hand nearly shakes as he follows the impulse; he wants this dream. he doesn't want it to suffer. ]
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... You're right. Come on.
[ he will be walking a little slower, but he is walking ]
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As they work to operate the panel it seems natural and intuitive - both their hands move in practiced sweeping motions along the controls hovering in the air, sending runes and circles spinning in familiar, mind-bending patterns. The ceiling showers dust as it creaks into life again, gold plating retreating and twisting and pulling out of the way. In the ceiling hands another portion of that beautiful, glowing blue Threshold Crest. It’s quick, at least - a roar of golden light and the creature screams again and just … melts.
A whisper: `The philosophers abandoned us. Took their whole Ward with them. Cognouza. Curse them. May they rot in—
Blood seeps into all the grooved channels along the floor, and flows into the orb, disappearing. Your dream, gone.
Victoron, from where its sitting goes: `W-W-W-Welcome. Do you need assistance?`
God you’re tired. ]
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Is it over?
[she's too tired right not even to remember why she was angry before. it feels like something took her over and filled her with so much, and it isn't as though she didn't want it, but the absence of that pressure is a relief. it hurts, when your dream dies in front of you, but it's such a relief, too.]
Are you all okay?
[she says this very quietly, not sure what to think. for a while she forgot why she trusted them, but now she's forgotten why she didn't, but it doesn't feel as though the source of that distrust is gone exactly.]
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DAY 3
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